The Skills in Demand visa (also called the SID visa) is Australia’s employer-sponsored temporary work visa under subclass 482. It replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa and started on 7 December 2024. The idea is simple: the Skills in Demand visa lets Australian employers sponsor skilled overseas workers for roles they can’t fill locally.

The visa keeps the 482 code but now splits into three streams. Each has its own occupation and income rules, and picking the wrong one before you lodge can hold up the whole application. So the stream you choose is the first thing to get right.

Who Can Apply for the Skills in Demand Visa

To apply for the Skills in Demand visa, you need a sponsoring employer approved by the Department of Home Affairs and a genuine, full-time position that matches an eligible occupation for your stream. You’ll generally also need the right skills and qualifications for the role, health and character clearances, and enough English to work and communicate safely on the job. Some occupations also require a formal skills assessment before you can be nominated.

Because the Skills in Demand visa now covers three separate streams, eligibility rules vary depending on which one applies to you. The official Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) page on the Department of Home Affairs website lists the current occupation lists, income thresholds, and document checklists for each stream, so it’s worth checking before you start gathering paperwork. If you’re not sure which stream fits your situation, our team can review your circumstances and help you avoid a costly misstep.

Core Skills stream

This is the one most applicants use. It covers occupations with real shortages, and the nominated occupation has to sit on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

On pay, two tests apply and you have to clear both. The first is the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): $76,515 a year for nominations lodged between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, then $79,499 from 1 July 2026. The second is the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for that role in that location. Whichever number is higher is the one you have to pay.

One naming point that trips people up: CSIT replaced the old TSMIT when the visa was restructured. TSMIT isn’t a separate live figure for new nominations anymore, even though you’ll still see it in some older documents.

Specialist Skills stream

This stream is aimed at highly skilled, high-earning people in non-trade roles. Trades workers, machinery operators, drivers, and labourers are out.

The pay floor here is the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): $141,210 a year for 2025–26, rising to $146,717 from 1 July 2026. The upside is that the occupation doesn’t need to be on the CSOL.

Both the CSIT and SSIT move every year, indexed against Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE), so always check the current number before lodging rather than relying on last year’s.

Labour Agreement stream

This stream carries over the arrangements from the old TSS visa. It lets employers sponsor workers in positions covered by a specific labour agreement, including Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs). It’s the holding pattern while the government finishes work on the planned Essential Skills stream.

Why lodgement timing matters

The threshold is locked in by the date you lodge, not the date a case officer looks at it. Lodge on or after 1 July 2026 and you’re on the new, higher figures. Lodge before that and you stay on the 2025–26 numbers, even if the decision comes months later. If you’re preparing nominations around the end of June, that’s a few thousand dollars of difference riding on a lodgement date, so it’s worth planning around.

Where it can lead

For a lot of Core Skills holders, the 482 is a stepping stone to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186). Whether you’re an employer looking at sponsorship or a worker weighing up the streams, it’s worth getting advice early so you lodge in the right stream, on the right figures, the first time.